Frequently Asked Questions

Year-Long Comics Intensive

Why Are You So Cheap?

You are getting a first-rate arts education for a third of the price of the Center for Cartoon Studies, and one eighth to one tenth of the price of other arts schools offering a major in sequential art, like the Savannah College of Art & Design, or the School for Visual Arts. Why? Our program at present is unaccredited. We have low overhead (almost all of tuition goes to rent and teacher salaries.) We currently have three computers, two scanners. We share a tight little space and many resources, and it works.

Absolutely. A portfolio review is necessary to enter the school. It is recommended this be online or in digital form. In addition, an essay and at least two new comic strips are required. See specifics on the application form.

When does the Year-Long Comics Intensive start and end?

Semesters are 14 weeks long. We time our calendar to the University of Florida calendar to facilitate housing for everyone. The first day of the fall semester is late August, 2017, ending in late December. We take a week off in October and time off for Thanksgiving. You can see our calendar here.

Our spring 2018 semester is being worked out now. We take two weeks off in a row in Feb/March.

Can I Take Just a Few Classes?

Four classes are designed as a single complete course. This core curriculum, Storytelling Studio, Traditional Drawing, Comics History and the Friday SAW Series offer a rounded comics education and are offered as a single unit.

Please contact us for more specifics.

Are There Payment Options?

SAW is dedicated to affordability and accessibility. If you’re dedicated to comics storytelling and motivated to learn, we can probably figure out payment options.

We have previously entertained options including work-study as well as installment plans and sliding scale. We would rather have you here than not. So long as we are still informal, everything is on a case by case basis. Write to us to discuss these options.

Who is this School For?

You could be...

1) A college-age adult who wants to focus on art before springboarding into a full-fledged BFA.

2) An artistic adult who has dabbled in comics and wants to study and practice the form more.

3) A college student looking for a more intensive, inspiring and open environment than a traditional art school.

4) An adult who is looking to continue their education or grab the chance to finally go to art school (like you always wished).

5) An established creator who is stuck and needing to push their work to the next level.

6) Any combination or variation on the above.

SAW teaches comics to museum guards, art majors, English teachers, truck drivers, graphic designers, novelists, scriptwriters, software developers. We want to help you use comics to tell your stories—whatever they are—in the best way possible. If you have passion and dedication to learning sequential art, then SAW’s Year-Long Comics Intensive is for you.

We want you to tell the stories you were most meant to tell, make the work you were meant to make. We help you to find your voice as a cartoonist by challenging you to push your own boundaries. We help you to discover more of your stories and your abilities while helping you see the strengths you have already.

How Big are the Classes?

We aim for a class size between 8-16 people. Our first two years have been roughly 6 people. Our third year had 10 students, our fourth year had 13, our fifth year had 10.

Where Will I Stay?

Gainesville is a major university town and as such, very friendly to students. You should have no trouble finding suitable housing in Gainesville. Almost any house or apartment you find will be within biking distance of SAW which is a few blocks from the main intersection of University and Main. Try this Craigslist link: http://gainesville.craigslist.org/apa/ or other services to find roommates or an apartment.

Note: The UF schedule means that houses and apartments rent from August to July. Look before then. Prospective students will have access to the school Wiki/Facebook page where students can discuss and collaborate on finding housing.